How prepared are you for the Minnesota turkey hunting season? Both the spring and fall look very promising. There are various hunting choices for shooters of all ages and ability levels, whether they prefer guns, shooting tools, or a crossbow. So, grab your gear and let’s get started! Here you’ll find information, including schedules, license needs, and rules.
Minnesota Turkey Season
All hunters—firearms, archery, or youth—are invited. Spring turkey hunters must choose a pass area which does not limit their license. Those with single-use permits can carry guns, archery equipment, and crossbows. Archery-only licensees cannot use crossbows. Fall hunters can use crossbows, firearms, and archery gear. Fall archery deer hunters must use legal bows and arrows, not crossbows. Finally, disabled passes can use crossbows whether they have an archery-only or one-time license.
| Archery | April 17 – May 31 |
| A | April 17 – April 23 |
| B | April 24 – April 30 |
| C | May 1 – May 7 |
| D | May 8 – May 14 |
| E | May 15 – May 21 |
| F | May 22 – May 31 |
Youth
| Youth Days | April 17 – May 31 |
Bag Limit
Only permitted to take one wild turkey with a noticeable beard, a feathery protrusion from the breast that is usually only present in males. In contrast, shooters can take one of either species during the fall game.
License Fees
| License | Resident (archery only or firearm) | Nonresident (archery only or firearm) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 and older | $26.00 | $96.00 |
| Ages 13 to 17 | $4.00 | $4.00 |
| 12 and younger | Free ($1 issuing fee) | Free ($1 issuing fee) |
Harvesting and Registration
Hunters must register their kill within 24 hours. Online, at a registered center, or by calling 888-706-6367. The turkey must keep with beak, feet, and plumage until it is documented. After registration, can be shifted with a full plumage wing, leg, or foot. Unless carried straight to a registration center, holding an unlisted wild turkey outside the permit area where it was taken is illegal. Hunters must register to avoid fines and registering requires the permit area.
How to Tag a kill?
You must quickly stamp the kill date on their license tag and affix it to a wild turkey. The blue license stock has an eyelet loop to tie the tag to the turkey’s leg during transit. Hunters must use the license stock pinhole to secure the tag to the leg with a thread or wire. To avoid hunting fines, it must be properly tagged.
Regulations
- Over-the-counter spring licenses are available on March 1. Hunters will identify their preferred pass area but not be limited to it. Firearms hunters 18 and older are limited to the buying period. Firearms license users can use archery tools during their chosen or final time frame. 17-year-olds can hunt statewide with guns or bows. Archery-only license users can hunt all season but cannot use weapons. Hunters cannot buy guns and bow licenses. Firearms hunters can hunt during the final period if they don’t tag a turkey. Fall licenses are available after August 1 without a draw.
- Any licensed hunter over 12 must have weapons safety accreditation. Archery-using 12-15-year-olds must also have a weapons safety permit. Fall licenses are good for archery and guns, so qualification is required. For hunting safety, weapons safety rules must be followed. To avoid hunting violations, hunters must get certified before buying a license.
- Shooting is allowed one-half hour before dawn to dusk. Wild turkey hunting is prohibited with dogs. Only red dot sights, rangefinders, and hearing aids can be used . Live decoys are illegal. Only turkey-hunting guns and bows are allowed. Hunting birds over bait is unlawful and punishable by law. To fish safely, you must know these basic rules.
- Firearms, archers, and crossbows are used for hunting wild turkeys. Only ten gauges or smaller rifles or muzzleloader shotguns with fine shot size No. 4 or fewer are allowed for weapons. Firearms can use red dot sights and rangefinders. Bows must draw at least 30 pounds, and arrowheads must have two barbless metal cutting tips with a width of at least 7/8 inches. Barbless expandable arrowheads must be 7/8 inch after impact. Anyone with a valid weapons license, 60 years or older, or a handicap pass can use a crossbow during their chosen time frame—no poisoned or exploding tip arrows.
- Licensed wild turkey hunters can assist other hunters, but they cannot kill or tag it. Unlicensed adults over 18 can help licensed hunters but cannot have firearms or bows or charge for their services.
- Trespassing on private land is illegal and can harm hunter-landowner ties. It can damage habitat projects, limit land access, and remove future hunting chances. Hunters should ask for approval before invading private land to avoid these effects. Repeat trespassers may face fees and license/registration suspension. Trespassing can result in losing hunting rights for two years, costs, jail time, and seizing hunting gear. All DNR conservation agents and licensed peace officers can issue fines for trespassing or removing signs without permission.
- Firearms hunters 18 and older who want to hunt in Mille Lacs, Carlos Avery, and Whitewater Wildlife Management Areas during the A-C or A and B seasons must file for a random pass. Online, phone or in-person drawing applications are due February 17, 2023, for $4.00. The drawing victors will receive a memo with the wildlife control area and time frame, but they can fish statewide. Archery-only and 17-year-old hunters can enter these areas without a draw. After the B period, any legal license bearer can hunt in the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area, and after the C period, in Mille Lacs or Carlos Avery.
FAQ
What are the legal shot sizes for hunting wild turkeys in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, only shots sized No. 4 or lower are permitted when shooting wild turkeys.
How can hunters register their wild turkeys after harvest?
Within 24 hours of capture, hunters can register their wild turkeys by going to a registration centre, dialling 888-706-6367, or doing it online.
Who is eligible to hunt wild turkeys during the spring season in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, the spring turkey season is open to anyone with a current weapons license, a disability permit under an archery-only license, or 60 years of age or higher under an archery-only license (no disability permit is required).
Where is the best place to hunt wild turkeys in Minnesota?
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, most of Minnesota’s turkey production takes place in the mixed-forest and-farm region that begins on the northwest fringe of the Twin Cities urban area and continues northwestward past Bemidji. Extreme southeast Minnesota is still a great location to fish, though.
Can a person with a disability permit use firearms during the spring wild turkey season in Minnesota?
Yes, Minnesota’s spring wild turkey season allows people with disabilities to use guns, but only with an archery-only license.
